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I didn’t take this from my old reports, it’s going to be very new as I just finished this book yesterday. This book needs a shoutout! Just like how it’s stated in the back cover, this is great for parents, teachers, day care or homeschooling practitioners and government. In general, those who have interest in education just like me!

It tells about the education system in Japan, specifically in daycare, preschool-kindergarten, and elementary school. Coming from the experience of Indonesian mothers who live in Japan, this is quite personal, which makes this even more enjoyable.

cr: Kalengkentang

I’ve always been a fan of Japan Culture (as you can see here). And when I read this book, actually I’m already familiar to how the schools are. The rough pictures from their entertainment products; movies, dramas, and animation. So, this book gives a deeper insight to my knowledge. The information here are pretty detailed and systematic. From the kinds of formal education for children in Japan to the all activities they do at school. Pictures also provided as an examples to make it clearer. There is even the description of how is teacher as a profession perceived in Japan. Turns out, teacher is a prestigious job which many people in Japan want to be. Japan takes children as a very precious being who would be the future of Japan so education is number one priority. That’s why, people who dedicate their time and effort to educate them will be highly respected.

‘Japan really think of education seriously, the system is very well thought of’. This thought kept coming when I read this book. Because, every aspects needed to make children learn and become a proper human-being is taken care of. They emphasize the importance of learning-by-doing and the development of characters not study for the sake of tests only. And what makes me really envious of them is the government plays a huge role in this. All the public schools there could possibly have the same standard as some of private schools in Indonesia. From the facilities to the curriculum. So, Japan citizen prefer to put their kids in public school with no worries. Since private school is also much more expensive.

There are many lessons we can take even for us, adults. The principles thought there such as to respect people (greet people, queuing), be responsible (of their own trashes and own belongings), be productive (many activities at school, even when in summer breaks schools encourage students and family to do something together), be knowledgeable (reading is a habit), and to converse traditional culture. Imagine all this are thought at school and not only that but the society is embracing the same values as well. In this book, the authors also give example on how to apply the principles to your children. Surely not everything can be easily applied, since there is difference in culture and habit. As much as we want our children to learn and adapt the principles, the society may have different values. So, it wouldn’t be as easy. The authors itself told how hard it is to keep the values learned from Japan’s school once their children come back to Indonesia.

Besides the lessons learned, it actually inspired me to build a school using the same system. As well made me wonder is there any school in Indonesia who has applied this system? (I’m hoping there is, lol). All in all, I like this book and it’s truly a suitable book for those mentioned above. If the government can’t be relied on, let’s just do it from ourselves.

Taken from my personal notes, haha. One of the thing that I usually do. So often that it becomes a habit: To reflect upon myself. This is addressed to me, but I think it’ll be okay to share once in a while 😉

Finally! Here is the list of books that I managed to read in 2013. It dosn’t meet up my target though which is 50 😦 but nevertheless I read more books than last two years! I hope this year my reading spirit will be much better and stable because if you see the list, there are months when I didn’t read at all and the other month when I read like mad (August to be exact). To read regularly is what I hope to achieve this year (which actually already failed on the first month, but still…) I’m still gonna try for the next months! Let’s see then. I’m gonna post the books I read in 2014 on the usual Books list tab, so keep an eye on me haha

Only few more hours left and it’s gonna be 2014. Thus, this will be the last post I make in 2013. At least I’m gonna end this not-so-good year for my blogging activity with a post.

I just realized something recently.

I used to be highly attached to things. It’s hard to let go of things that I possessed. The picture of losing what was mine was far from possible. I thought I was gonna have it like, forever. Toys I got, dresses I loved, crayons I used together with sisters, people I loved, even the time I had back than as a kid should’ve always stayed. I was so afraid to grow up back then. It’s like you know you’re going to be happy that way, so why let go?

The first realization stroke when my grandfather passed away, I was eight. So it’s possible to lose a person that ‘belongs’ to you. I didn’t fully understand so the feeling of sad is kind of the least compared to the surprised that I got.

I lost my school stationary quiet a lot when I was an elementary student. Being borrowed and didn’t comeback, forgot to place it somewhere and missing, dropped it or just mysteriously disappeared haha. At first it felt sad, but later I realized that it’s just things. Inanimate object. Unlike my grandpa, those weren’t gonna cried because they’re afraid. Not gonna starved or hydrated for being lost. It’s something that you can replace with just anything new. Guess that’s the first time that I learnt the art of letting go.

But it’s just a start.

It’s harder than I thought to let go of something bigger than just a pencil. My happy childhood or should I call it past now. I kept finding myself trying so hard to get back, longing for the feeling when everything was just fine. Looking through the old photo albums, old toys, diaries, anything that enable me to remember again, and maybe happy, again.

Time passed, a lot of things happened. A lot of loss occurred. The contact to my friends, the moments, school things, money (haha), hope and dreams. Several times I faced the time when I got to learn to let go. To detach my arms out of those what was mine without feeling too much of sadness and lost. Nothing last forever, that’s true.

This time, I may gonna have to let go of another thing, something that I never thought I have to lose this fast. It’s unimaginable at first. I resisted hard. Like I’d probably enter the grief phase of Kubler-Ross.

But then the realization came. It’s only things. Yes it’s precious. Yes it holds a lot of memories. Yes it’s huge. Yes it’s hard. But, to my surprise, I can see myself doing that.

I know this year hasn’t been a great year for my blog (it’s so dry of inspiration I’m gonna die T_T) but I’ve got to let it pass again. Instead of cursing myself for not doing it best, I’m just gonna prepare for the next step so it can be better. As much as it sounds like an excuse wrapped up in good words, that’s all I can say for welcoming the new year. /sad/

Hello! After arguing with my own self about what to post in the blog, I finally decided to write a book report that for all this time is kept in the shelf. This is one of my holiday project: to write a report after I read a book. Unfortunately it’s written in Indonesian, and to translate it into English, I guess, will change the feels that I put when I wrote it. (or it can also be because I’m lazy to do so). Anyway, here we go!

The main reason why I watch this movie was because my cousin is responsible for the music scoring. The most phenomenal movie of the year I guess. The Raid or Serbuan Maut starring Iko Uwais, the martial arts actor who masters in Pencak Silat. This is an action type of movie.

from heads to toes

It is from the beginning till it ends covered by punch and kick and all those moves of martial arts. Between the good and the bad. It was really really good, all of it looks real and amazing. It’s too much to handle for anyone I suppose, at least for me. Absolutely for those who is beyond 18 years old.

The story itself firstly took place in the houses of the good. Iko was seen kissing his pregnant wife before going to the ‘war’. Iko was one of the soldiers who has a mission to raid the quarters of their enemy. It was in an old flats. With only more or less 10 people in the group they walked in the building quietly until the spy boys of the enemy saw them and press the alarms. The thrill started here.

You may not be able to sit still throughout the movie, especially if you are a scaredy cat like me. Screams most likely to come out in some scenes. It was horrific yet marvelous, really intense. In the end, all the people in the theater can’t help to not clapping their hands. We are very proud of the production from our country. It’s indeed, an international standard movie.

Since my cousin was one of the crews, we still sat until the credits showed up, and when his name scrolling up we clapped and cheering for him. Our proud cousin in the most phenomenal movie of Indonesia this year! 😀

Hope to see more of great Indonesian movie like this one, any genre is good as long as the making is with all the heart on and original story. One to be put attention on is seriously, the audience. It’s definitely not a children movie. It will damage really bad if any kid watches this. I mean, even I was old enough to watch this, the effect is still pretty bad. Please, pretty please, don’t take your under aged kids to watch those movie that is not suitable for them.

Hopefully next years, high-quality Indonesian movies will raid the theaters brutally! 😀